A panel of speakers discuss environmental contaminants at the 2019 Emerging Contaminants in the Environment Conference

The Illinois Sustainable Technology Center and Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant (IISG) co-hosted the 2019 Emerging Contaminants Conference on May 21-22 in Champaign, Illinois. The fourth annual conference featured presentations on the latest in emerging contaminant research, policies and outreach strategies.

This year’s conference focused on a variety of pollutants in water, soil, and air ranging from pharmaceuticals, viruses, algal toxins and endocrine disruptors to pesticides, flame retardant chemicals, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), and microplastics.

Read about conference highlights in Highlights from the 2019 Emerging Contaminants in the Environment conference by Laura L. Barnes. IISG’s Sarah Zack helped organize the conference with the Great Lakes Pollution Prevention team and staff from the Illinois Sustainable Technology Center.

 

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Happy Earth Day 🌎💙From the Great Lakes to your local community, every action counts. Whether it’s reducing waste, protecting water, or learning something new, small steps make a big impact.
Join the 2026 Great Lakes BioBlitz! 🌎🦋📸Starting Earth Day, educators, students, youth groups, and families are invited to help document biodiversity across the Great Lakes region using iNaturalist. A kick-off webinar is scheduled for April 16th at 2 pm CT.Participate anytime during the four‑week event. Snap photos, make observations, and contribute to real conservation data while getting students outside and engaged with nature. Learn more and get ready to explore: https://sites.google.com/wisc.edu/annual-great-lakes-bioblitz/2026 #TeachingTuesday#GreatLakes